Sapphire Shores
by HighCommanderStudios
Summary: "Water, Water everywhere." A alternate reality where our heroes, Brendan and May, fail to save the world.
1. Chapter 1

Brendan launched himself up throwing the covers towards the edge of the bed. He panted heavily, coughing into his hand while his other grasped the bed sheets tightly. He breathed wildly. His head was banging. His dark-brown eyes flickered in and out of vision. It took a moment before his heartbeat began to calm down. His breathing slowed. His mind relaxed. His eyes steadied.

Finally he could make out where he was.

It was a small bedroom, not his own but similar. Dark wooden furniture was scatted through the large space. Bright Hoenn sunlight swept through the window. A gentle breeze carefully waving around the curtains which had been pulled back. Everything seemed empty. The desk had nothing on it. The bookcase contained only one book. The wardrobe, Brendan guessed was about as empty as his backpack which had been slung against it. The door was at the other side of the room, closed but with small amounts of light sneaking in between the bottom of the door and the edge of the floor.

Brendan placed a hand to his head and in doing so he noticed the bandages wrapped around his arm. He checked his body for injuries. His right leg seemed to be recovering from something, he guessed it was a sprain in his ankle or something to do with his foot. His elbow on his left arm was bruised in multiple places. His head had a small graze on it. His trainers outfit, a black and orange t-shirt, grey shorts, were ripped and shredded.

He picked up a glass of water, which had been carefully placed beside him on the bedside table and took a sip. The water was perfect, wetting his dried lips. He took a breath of air and then placed the water back down. He was about to attempt to stand when suddenly the door swung open.

"No, no, no, no, no." May barked. "You are in no condition to sit up, let alone stand!" The young brunette raised an eyebrow at her best friend and folded her delicate arms. She too had a few cuts and bruises scattered around. Brendan looked at her beautiful blue eyes and decided she was right and gently fell back into the bed, resting his head on the pillows and smiling. He may be hurt, but at least he was with her.

"What happened?" Brendan asked.

"You don't remember?" May asked taking a seat at the end of the bed next to his legs. "You got into a fight you couldn't win. As usual." She put the back of her hand on Brendan's forehead and he nearly jumped at the unexpected contact. "Got yourself hurt. As usual." She removed her hand and placed it on her lap, joining her other hand. Her delicate fingers started interlocking. Something she only did when she was nervous. "I brought you here. Too recover." She shrugged and smiled. Her eyes trailed to the cut on Brendan's head and her pure and perfect smile turned into a frown. "That should be looking better by now. Let me get some stuff..." The brunette began to stand but a hand reached out and tried to pull her back.

"May." Brendan almost whispered to her. "Stay."

The teenage girl looked at Brendan, her head slightly turning to the side. Her shoulder-length short brown hair slowly waving in the breeze. Her eyes fixed on his. Her lips folded in on themselves. Her little nose scrunched up. Her cheeks turned purple. She finally managed to form some words, and spoke softly, simply. "Okay." She sat back onto the bed, one leg tucked underneath her other which draped over the edge of the bed. Her soft and fragile, little hand slowly fell next to Brendan's. Their eyes remained fixed on each other. The two stayed where they where, in almost complete silence. Only the sound of their hearts getting faster filled the void.

Brendan's hand crawled along the bed, climbing over her own hand and grasping it gently. The feeling of their hands finally being together felt amazing. May felt safe, secure, for the first time in weeks. Brendan, felt like a huge relief was taken off of his shoulders. A weight on his heart. But then, he saw, Mays face.

He saw guilt.

"What's wrong?" He asked gently.

"Nothing." She said with a smile which seemed forced.

"May." Brendan said softly. "You can talk to me." He squeezed her hand tightly. "You know that."

She turned away from him slowly, instead staring out the window. He mind wandered. Wandered back to what had happened. What could have happened. What should have happened. Brendan felt her hand shaking and he pushed himself up. Keeping her hand tightly in his own, his other hand placed onto her shoulder. She turned away from the window and buried her head into his shoulder. "We lost, Brendan." She began to cry. As if a someone had flipped a light switch. "We lost." Brendan's arm stretched around her back and steadied her as she wept into his neck. Her crying was uncontrollable. Like the pressure between two tectonic plates erupting and cracking the earth and ground around it. Brendan had never seen her like this, he didn't know what to do but before he could come up with a solution he turned his head...

Slowly the young teenage boy. The boy who everyone had relied on. The boy who was meant to save all of Hoenn from the schemes of the evil Team Aqua. The boy who was chosen to fight the final battle. Slowly he turned his head to look out the window. He turned his head too see,

Water.

Water, everywhere.


	2. Chapter 2

Brendan opened the door and stared out along the horizon. Beyond his vision was a large ocean. Only a few peaks of the many mountains scattered around Hoenn remained. In the distance he saw what he imagined was , where Team Aqua's first plot was foiled. He wished that their other plots had followed suite. He placed his hand on his forehead and wiped his eyes. Guilt surrounded him, almost crushing him. He had failed. He had failed to stop all of this. He failed to do what was asked of him.

"It's kinda beautiful, isn't it?" May mumbled, looking out into the distance. "The ocean."

Brendan didn't disagree with her. It was beautiful. The way that nothing disturbed the perfect reflection of the sun on the water. The way that the waves moved uninterrupted. In a way it was quiet exquisite. Brendan had always loved the ocean. It held so many secrets in its dark depths. One day he wanted to explore them all. Just, not like this.

He turned to May. The brunette was sitting with her legs folded underneath her, like she always did. Her vision was fixed on the ocean, her eyes mirroring the sapphire blue of the sea. She chewed the edge of her fingernail while her other hand picked at a scar on the bottom of her arm. Brendan moved over to her and gently pulled her finger away. "You'll make it worse." He kindly said. "No chewing." The slightly older teen added. Brendan sat next to her and felt a sharp pain in his back forcing him to jerk forward. May noticed and, looking concerned, placed a hand on the space between his neck and spine, and very gently, moved her finger slowly in a circular patten. Brendan was first nervous at the contact but immediately after he felt relaxed. The pain seemed to drift away in the distance.

"My mother used to do this too my, Dad." May explained, continuing the gesture. "Is it, alright?" Brendan nodded.

"Do you know-"

"No." She interrupted. "I haven't seen anyone." She explained. "I was just helping with the evacuation, and then, I saw your suit in the sea. Just floating there. I thought- I thought you where dead. I had Tropius pick you up. We searched for somewhere to land for hours. The water just kept rising and rising." Brendan put a hand around her shoulders. May took a sharp breath. "Eventually we found this place." She continued. "It was empty. Not sure who it belonged too."

"Thank you, May." He said. She looked up at him and rested her head onto his chest. He tightly held her close. His cheek leant against her hair. "You did everything you could."

"It wasn't enough." She mumbled. "I should have done more."

"If there's one thing I know about you," Brendan said confidently. "It's that you will always do the right thing." He smiled at her and she looked up at him again, but this time there was something else in her eyes. She couldn't look at him for long. Instead she let her emotions go free into the vast ocean which surrounded them. Letting the waves carry away her guilt.

The sun had began to drop into the sea. Day was beginning to fade into night. May was sleeping, Brendan's arm still wrapped around her. Brendan found himself staring at her beautiful face. She was adorable, he knew that from the first time he saw her. She was funny, kind, confident, caring and everything else he didn't know he wanted, all in one slightly smaller, skinny, adorable package, with a cute little red and white bow on top. He had always wanted this. The two of them, together, his arm around her shoulders. Her head resting against his chest. In a way, he could forget about it all. The ocean, Kyogre. Aqua. Despite the guilt, the feeling of loss. Worthlessness. And yet, he was almost content. Simply because she was still here.

He worried about his parents, his friends, Wally, Steven. His Pokémon team which May couldn't find out in the ocean. But he knew deep down inside that somehow everyone was okay. Maybe he was lying to himself, but if that's what it took for him to live then that's what he would do. For now. Forever. Whatever was the case. He had something else to worry about now. Someone else needed him. Someone he could realistically help. And that's what he was going to do.

Carefully he lifted the fragile girl into his arms. Carrying her into the house and into the large bedroom where she had originally put him. But there was no way he was letting her sleep on the sofa again. As carefully as he could he placed her into the bed, silently pulled the covers over her and brushed a strand of her short hair from her face. She turned to this side and he just watched her for a moment. He smiled to himself and took a breath, building himself up to say...

"I love you."


	3. Chapter 3

Brendan stared into the reflection of the helmet. His reflection stared back. He looked into his own dark-brown eyes and began to wonder about what had happened in that cave? How did he fail to defeat Kyogre? Where did he go so wrong? Could he fix it? Was it too late? Had he caused all of this? How many people had died? How many of his friends and family had been lost? Did they suffer? Are they still out their? Searching for him? Searching for May? His thoughts took him deeper and deeper into the dark depths of his mind, depths which he had try to bury into the back of his head.

"Everything okay?" May asked, pulling him out off his thoughts.

"Yeah." Brendan replied. "Just thinking." He placed the blue helmet down on the floor next to the other pieces of the Devon Suit which May had found him in. "I'm trying to get this stuff working again." He gestured over to the suit and she nodded. "Then we don't have to rely on poor Sealeo to get all the food."

"And?" May asked, a cheeky smile on her face. "Any luck?"

Brendan rolled his eyes and stood up. He was only slightly taller than May, but his broad shoulders and strong arms made him seem stories higher. "None." He replied, wrapping his hand around the mug of coffee she had prepared for him. He took a sip and placed it down on the table. "That's good coffee." Suddenly he placed his arm around May's back and pulled her forward so that their heads where barely an inch apart. She placed her hand on the side of his neck and reached up, standing on the tips of her bare toes to reach his lips with her own. They both closed their eyes and forgot about all the troubles they where facing for just a single moment. All that mattered for that one second was that they where together. Then their eyes opened and out of every open door, every window the view of their broken world forced them back to reality.

"We're running low on food." May said begrudgingly. "I planted the seeds from the samples in my bag, and Lotad can help me grow them. Could be months before anything turns edible though." She shrugged but Brendan placed an arm on her shoulder and gave her an encouraging and warm smile.

"We'll be fine." He calmly stated. "I'll get this suit working. Then we can recover supplies from," He paused. "Down there. Tropius can keep doing scouting runs. Remember those cargo ships we saw at Slateport City? They wouldn't have sunk. And she may even finds signs of life." May's hand reached out and grabbed Brendan's. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She let go and looked away from him but then quickly turned back. "I'm must worried that all this flying is wearing her out," She turned to the window and watched the sky as the giant Tropius flapped it's wing and danced around the much smaller Sealeo.

"May," Brendan took a hold off her hand and squeezed it tightly. He knew what she was really worried about. "I know things look bleak." He started. "I know there isn't much hope." She looked at him. Her big eyes like black holes sucking him in. He placed his hand on her cheek and gently stroked a small tear from her eye. "I think there are people out there. I can feel it. In my heart. In my head. There will be survivors." She nodded.

"But," She gulped. "What if..."

"Don't worry about the 'what ifs'. Let's just worry about the now." Brendan interrupted. "Thats what the Professor would want. That's what your father would expect of you." She nodded, grabbing his wrist and cuddling into his chest. "He'd want you to just carry on." Brendan continued, placing a hand through the back of her hair and massaging her head.

Mays eyes wondered toward the Devon suit in the corner. "I'm scared." She whispered, staring into it. Remembering her guilt. Remembering seeing Brendan, beaten, bruised, broken. "I nearly lost you in that suit once. I can't see that again."

"You won't," Brendan replied kissing her forehead. "You won't."

May looked into the helmets blue visor. Her reflection staring back at her. Her guilt wrapping around her again but the sound of Brendan pressing buttons on the suit drew her away. He tapped a few controls. Checked his oxygen levels and raised his arms and legs, making sure the suit was working correctly.

The suit had taken a month to repair. This was the first test. Although the suit had an 8 hour oxygen limit, Brendan had agreed to test it for only three. One hour of falling to the land below. Another to explore and the final one to raise himself back up. Originally he wanted to spend five hours but May insisted he take it easy. She was very nervous about the suit and Brendan wearing it. Brendan could understand why. If that situation had been turned the other way around he doubt he would even let her try it on. Let alone dive into the depths with it on.

May walked up to him and he turned to face her. She let the helmet drop to the floor and placed both her hands around his cheeks, kissing him on the lips and wrapping her arms around the back of his neck, burying her head into his shoulder. "Don't die." She commanded quietly. "Please." She kissed him again and then retreated back down to the ground, holding the helmet once again and raising it up too him. He took it from her hands and took a deep breath.

"I won't." He said simply.

"Promise?" She asked.

"Promise." He replied.

"I love you." May confessed, biting her lip.

"I love you." Brendan repeated.

"Three hours?" May questioned.

"Three hours." Brendan repeated. "Not a second more." She nodded. He nodded in reply.

The two stared at each other for a moment. The sun rising beside them. Lighting up the brilliant ocean which surrounded them on all sides. The ocean that Brendan was about to explore. The ocean which has once sat below and entire region. Once full of life and purpose, now buried below the sea.

Without another word, Brendan carefully took the helmet out of Mays hands and placed it over his head, locking it into place. She watched as he walked into the ocean, with her precious Sealeo following him eagerly as the water climbed up his body and over his head. She continued to watch as the last of the Devon Suit disappeared beneath the waves. She watched and waited until he would return to her.

"Three hours." She whispered. "Just, three hours."


	4. Chapter 4

Brendan descended into the depths. His eyes drifted between the small computer monitor on his built into his arm to the dark waters below him. He had been diving before with his parents on holiday. The memory of him and his Dad researching the Pokémon which live in the many oceans of their world had lingered on his mind for many weeks now. He was worried he would not get the chance to make new memories with his Father. But he couldn't worry about that now. He had three hours. Three hours to test the suit, explore the depths, look for signs of life, and if he was lucky, catch a Pokémon for himself with one of May's spare PokeBalls.

However, as he sunk deeper and deeper into the waters he began to worry. It wasn't the darkness that worried him, not even the bit of claustrophobia he felt being trapped inside the Aqua suit. Instead, it was the complete lack of life around him. No coral, no Pokémon, no ruins, no movement. There was nothing. Like being in a void. Like sleeping without a dream. Nothing. An empty ocean.

Nothing changed as he descended deeper. Brendan and decided he had gone deep enough for now and began to use the small thrusters on the suit to slow his descent. The jets activated gently but the noise was almost deafening in the silent waters. He began to stop falling, instead staying level. Sealeo squeaked at him and Brendan turned to see the Pokémon elegantly doing the same. Brendan turned and looked around. Finally he could get a good view of this unwanted and new world and like before, it was just empty.

Brendan assumes that the Pokémon who naturally live in the sea, Seakings, Magikarp, Lanturns, hadn't swam up to the surface, as they don't need air, and instead stick to what they've been doing for centuries. But even then, the water pressure changing would force them up eventually, unless they could adapt. He wondered what would happen to those water types who needed to breath. Would they have just drowned at the once-top but now-bottom of the ocean? He felt his fists clench.

Team Aqua has a lot to answer for.

May was sitting down on the edge of the ocean. Her little, grass stained, worn-in, yellow and red trainers swing and scraped the top of the water as her tanned legs hung off the small hill. The island their little house which had conveniently existed was no real island. The land was flat and rough. No sand, no beach's. Just the odd bit of hill by the waters edge. May had worried that a simple wave could destroy there little home. She couldn't lose the last thing they had left but nature has done crueler things.

She had saved some choirs for herself to do as a distraction while Brendan was gone. Checking those fruit seeds she planted last month. Still growing. Rationing the food. Barely anything left. Messing with the electricity to see if they could get a radio working. No luck there. Even when using Minun there was just nothing. But even after doing all that she still had an hour to wait.

May looked over the distant horizon and waited. She refused to let her mind drift to her parents, her friends, everyone else. In a way she wished she knew what had happened, even if it was bad. Just so her mind could be at ease. But she didn't know. She couldn't find out. Not yet. Instead, she had decided to assume the worse, mourn in her own way, and keep working. That's what her dad, Professor Birch would do. He would keep working. And yet, she still found herself, sitting in the edge of their tiny little bit of safety, waiting for the gym leaders son to come back and hold her. To keep her safe. Like he always does.

May drifted further into the dark area of her mind. She began to remember what she did. Or what she didn't do. The guilt which was tearing her apart. She was finding it more and more difficult to hold it down. Too keep it in the depths.

"Breathe," May whispered to herself. "Just breathe."

Tropius and Roselia watched their trainer with concern. May knew that her Pokémon could sense her mood, her intentions, her thoughts in a way. They knew when you were angry or sad, happy or anxious. Even sometimes before you know it. They knew if your intentions were good or bad. And they also know that if you had something on your mind and they also know that the best way to cheer your trainer up is to show affection.

Tropius leaned down and tapped May on the shoulder with its head. It let out a reassuring hum which May immediately smiled at. She placed a hand on the bottom of the Tropius neck and stroked it with the edge of her delicate fingers. Roselia sat in her lap, leaning back into her chest and letting out a sweet scent which May knew was designed to calm down Pokémon who had an aggressive nature. The teenager could tell why it worked. She was still waiting for the man she loved. But at least she had her Pokémon with her. Even if it's just a distraction.

One hour too go.

After a while of drifting, a flash indicated he only had an hour left. Brendan sighed, but he liked the idea of being back on the surface. Being with her again. He tapped a button and his jets began to activate. This was the part he didn't like. Going down was fine, no noise, no jets, just natural falling. But going up. Full thrusters, a lot of noise, a lot of shaking. None of which he enjoyed doing.

He began to ascend and Sealeo followed.

He had accomplished what seemed like nothing but a waste of time. Everything was working fine. He saw no Pokémon, let alone one he could catch. He knew what he needed to do. He need to go deeper into the depths. A lot deeper. Which meant more going down and more going up. Neither of which appealed to him. But he knew he has to do it. Even if he didn't like it, he had to keep May safe. Which meant he had to feed her, protect her from this dangerous new world, and if he could, find a way to the survivors if their are any.

He was determined to do what he has to do.

His dad always told him. "When under trial there is one solution that works every time."

"Be strong. Get to work." Brendan remembered.

May had being checking her watch for the last thirty minutes. She was getting anxious, her mind was wandering if something terrible had happened. She formed stories of the worse possible scenario. Losing the one she loved so much. Losing the only friend she had left. She kept thinking. She kept creating horrible images in her head. She felt a tear beginning to fall. A knot in her stomach, like a knife cutting through her. Then the water started to move.

A wave of relief washed over her as the ocean parted and the Aqua Suit arrived on dry land. May rushed over and placed her hands on the helmet, forcing it off Brendan's head and immediately kissing him. "I was so worried," May mumbled as she rested her head back into his shoulder. "Don't do that again."

Brendan hadn't even had a change to take his suit off yet, but that was the last thing on his mind. "We both know I have too." He reasoned. "But I still missed you." May looked into Brendan's eyes and place a hand onto his cheek. "I love you." Brendan whispered to her.

"I know." She replied. Her genuine and beautiful smile making Brendan's hairs stand on end. "Let's get some food." She added, bringing him out of a low-key trance. As the two headed inside, the sun began to set. But behind it dark clouds began to loom. Lightning and thunder struck the distance and lite up the night sky. A storm was coming. A storm the likes of which they had only seen once before.


	5. Chapter 5

Brendan gazed into the window of May's bedroom and stared into the distance. His eyes fixed on the flashes of lightning and thunder which smashed through the dark storm clouds, below that was a huge mass of what looked like tornadoes made of water with whirlpools swallowing the water around them and almost throwing it back into the sky.

"I've never seen anything like this." Brendan muttered to himself. "It's insane."

"I have." May interrupted, appearing behind him. "Just before I found you." Brendan turned to her and watched as she tucked her arms into her chest. "The whole world looked like this." Her sad gaze fell to the floor.

Brendan quickly walked over to her and placed his arms around the back of her neck and head, pulling her into a embrace. She crushed her arms in between his and her chest and grasped his shirt. He kissed her forehead gently and rubbed his check against her hair. "It can't hurt us. It's too far away." May nodded and closed her eyes, burying her head into his strong and warm chest. "We should try to get some sleep," he suggested, changing the subject. "Busy day tomorrow. Plus when you wake up. This'll all be over." May raised her eyes to him and nodded.

"Alright." She said simply. "You're right." She let go of his shirt and moved away, taking the red and white bow off of her head and placing down onto the bedside table. Brendan began to walk out of the door, and May watched intently at him. She bite her lip and closed her eyes for a second before taking a breath and breathing in some courage. "Brendan." She called to him gently. "Stay."

Brendan stopped by the door and slowly turned around. Surprised, confused by her request. He watched her for a moment as she slowly walked over to him and placed her arms onto his chest, her hands spreading out just below his shoulders. Her eyes searched his deeply, almost as if she could see through them. Very slowly May grasped Brendans shirt and raised herself up on the tips of her toes, pushing her body against his, then she closed her bright sapphire eyes and kissed him. She pulled back slightly from his lips. "Stay." She repeated. "Please."

Brendan placed a hand onto her lower back and pulled her closer. "Okay." He replied in a whisper. "I'll stay."

May circled her finger on the sleeping Brendan's bare chest. She couldn't stop smiling. The sun was beaming its light through the open window. The thunder and lightning was gone with the storm. The only sound was the waves gently stroking the edges of the island. May felt like she was in paradise. For the first time since Kyogre, she felt happy. She leaned into Brendan's shoulder more, closed her eyes and forgot about it all. The guilt. The worries. The loss. Being with him made her feel so very special. She knew that this was what she always wanted. Even if the way it happened was horrible at least they were together.

A part of Her wanted to get up and make him breakfast. Another part wanted to stay in the bed with him forever. She decided on the latter and turned herself right on her side, tucking in her small feet next to his and reaching right across with her arm over his chest, closing her eyes tightly. She felt as if nothing could ruin this amazing moment.

But of course something did.

The looming green and brown head of her Tropius whimpered and whined. May slowly released herself from Brendan's sleeping body and grabbed a nearby towel to cover herself as she peaked out the window. In the distance she could see something springing out the water. It splashed and cried out in pain, as if it was struggling to escape the deep waters.

Quickly, May threw on her clothes and ran outside, gazing again towards the panicking Pokémon. She looked closely and noticed its features. A large yellow beak. Two huge white wings with a hint of blue down the centre of them, and a huge body with what looked like a mess of fabrics waving about towards its back. May wrapped her arms around Tropius and climbed into its back, flying out towards whatever was happening.

Within seconds they'd arrived and the Tropius's huge wings kept them just above the water. May could finally see the Pokémon. It was a Pelipper on the verge of drowning and the fabrics was a body. It was a person. May instructed Tropius to pick up the Pokémon and the woman it was carrying and bring them back to the island. Tropius struggled carrying such a large Pokémon, but May knew that it was only a short distance away and Tropius could do it.

They reached the shore about a minute later and May jumped down from Tropius to help the person. Brendan had seen what had happened and rushed out to Mays side. The Pelipper coughed and spluttered water everywhere. Brendan ran back inside to find something to help the Pokémon. Maybe a spare potion in his bag or a berry nearby. May however was helping the woman the Pelipper was carrying.

She was dark-skinned, covered in a brown poncho which was soaked through. Her top was blue and white striped and only covered half of her chest, the other half was ripped and torn. Her trousers were the same, blue and white but badly damaged. Suddenly her oceanic blue eyes opened, she immediately through herself to the side and vomited all over the grass. For a moment she coughed before rolling away from her sick and back into eyeshot of May. She looked at her, dazed and confused for a moment before her mouth started to move, forming whispers. After a few seconds she started making sounds and May moved closer to hear what she was saying.

"Traitor." The woman whispered to her. "Traitor."

May lifted her head up and stared into the distance as Brendan came rushing out and helping the injured Pelipper. Without a word May moved away from the woman and slowly backed towards the house. She felt her fists clench, her knees shake, her eyes squeezed together to stop herself from crying.

Brendan watched her as she slowly took steps backwards away from the woman who clearly needed help, but Brendan quickly recognised the uniform. "Team Aqua." He mumbled to himself. "May?" He called out to the girl who didn't reply at all. "May?" He called out again with no response. He gritted his teeth and ran over to the woman, he'd deal with whatever was wrong with May later, for now the Team Aqua woman needed help. He checked her breathing and rolled her over. She was alive but barely conscious. She threw up again, a result of the water inside her lungs. Brendan made sure she couldn't choke on it before leaving her on her side and turning to May who had silently sat down, staring into the distance.

Brendan rushed over to her as the clouds above him covered the sun. He sat down and out his arm around her but it was like she was in a trance. "May? What's wrong?" He whispered to her gently. "I know she's Team Aqua but she needs help."

May turned to him, the edge of her eyes red and flooding with tears. "She knows," May replied. "Brendan, she knows."

Brendan firmly placed his hands around her small forearms and stared straight into her crying eyes. "Knows what?" He asked. Concern and worry was plastered onto his face. He didn't realise how tightly he was gripping onto her arms as she threw her head onto his shoulder and buried it into his neck. "May? What's wrong?" Brendan asked desperately.

"She knows." May whispered through her tears. "She knows."


	6. Chapter 6

Brendan watched May from the top of the stairs. They'd taken the Team Aqua woman up to the spare room, which used to be Brendan's. May silently waited at the bottom step, staring out of the open door and towards the sun setting over the glistening ocean. He was trying to wrap his brain around the whole situation. May was barely speaking to him. The last thing she said was 'she knows'. He had gathered that something had happened that May didn't want him to know about. Maybe she ran into her while they battled Team Aqua throughout their journey? He just couldn't work out why she was so upset, so afraid, so guilty.

He wanted to console her but May clearly wanted to be alone. Although he felt like he had a duty to be there for her he also wanted to respect her privacy. They didn't really have any privacy considering their situation. He wouldn't take the little time she had to herself alone. He was also worried he would make things worse. She would come to him when she needed too. He'd hoped.

Brendan took a step back and glanced through the doorframe leading to the spare room and towards the Team Aqua woman sleeping comfortably in the bed. She was older than him by about half a decade. Curly and messy red hair. She was covered in scars and all sorts of damage. Her Pokémon was down and out. Brendan didn't expect to hear from the Pokémon for atleast the next day. It must have flown hundreds of miles to be that tired.

In a way, Brendan was glad that this woman had arrived. Even though she was the enemy, she was another human being. Another survivor. Which meant there must be more people out there. He'd given up all hope to find any of his friends or family, but now, a little spark had just lite up inside him.

The house was silent for the next hour, May had barely breathed for the last three. Her hands were shaking, her legs jumping up and down. Whenever Brendan came near May clutched her knees to stop them, but she could only hide it for so long, if she was even hiding her pain from Brendan. She interlocked her fingers and pushed them against her chin and mouth. Taking a breath she stood up and pulled her red tank top down. Glancing around the house she searched for Brendan but couldn't find him.

"You." A dark and vicious voice called out to her from the top of the stairs. May turned to face the woman. "You remember me, don't you. May." The way she said her name, it was full of hatred.

"I didn't mean too." May mumbled out.

"Doesn't matter." The woman replied, her voice sinister. Her hands formed fists and she slowly stepped down towards May who felt more terrified with every squeak the wooden stairs made. "You know what they say. An eye for an eye."

She was about to leap at her but Brendan appeared, his eyes gazing towards them in confusion. "Oh. You're awake."

The woman stopped and smiled. "Yes. I am." She turned to May slowly and glared at her but Brendan didn't notice. "I'm, Sally." She smirked at him.

"Brendan." He replied. "And this is May."

"We've met." Sally got to the bottom of the stairs, the turned to Brendan and gave him a cheeky wink. "Isn't that right?"

"Sure." May mumbled back, trailing off.

"I've made some food, if you want some." Brendan interrupted the two, clearly sensing the tension. "You both must be hungry." He gestured towards the kitchen and Sally nodded respectfully, heading past Brendan but accidentally bushing against his chest as she moved into the kitchen. Brendan stared at the floor then to May, shrugging towards her, but she was to full of guilt to be jealous, or So she told herself.

Brendan and May entered into the kitchen together. Brendan wrapped his hands around Mays fragile fingers and squeezed them gently. He moved his lips close to her ear and whispered "I love you." She didn't respond verbally but she wrapped her fingers around his and clutched his hands before letting go and taking a seat at the table opposite Sally.

Brendan grabbed the plate of vegetables and salads and placed it in the middle of the table. May didn't even look at the food but Sally immediately grabbed a spoonful and began to devour it. Brendan slowly took some food began eating, then noticed Mays empty plate. He took some salad and placed it onto her plate. "I know you don't feel well but you need to eat." She nodded in reply. Sally watched, chewing loudly on the food in her mouth. "It's good."

"Yeah! It is." Sally shouted, spitting out bites of food. "Thanks, handsome." May's eyes shot up and glared at Sally, she smirked in response. "He really does look after you, doesn't he?" Sally turned to Brendan and twisted her head, beaming a smile at him, before moving back towards May who started to breath heavily, her hands forming fists underneath the dining table. "I'm surprised, considering what you did." May clutched the table and dug her nails into her wood. Sally looked at Brendan, confusion all over his entire face. He'd stopped eating and watch the woman. Sally controlled the room and May, May looked like every negative emotion rolled into one. Guilt, anger, fear, anxiety.

Sally stopped chewing and copped Brendan's confused face. "Oh. He doesn't know!" She exclaimed. "You didn't tell him?"

"What's going on?" Brendan asked.

May stayed silent.

"This is going to be good." Sally laughed. "He's going to hate you."

"May?" Brendan asked.

May jumped up from her chair and it slammed to the floor. Her fists slammed the table and she let out a loud burst of air from her quivering lips. "I was... I was going. I was going to tell him... Eventually."

"Tell me what?" Brendan stood up slowly and watched her eyes glance over to him. "Tell me what!"

"Don't lie. You were never gonna' say anything." Sally interrupted.

"I was!" May shouted at her. "I was going to tell him the truth."

"Then tell him!" Sally shouted back. "Tell him now!" Brendan watched as the two woman shouted back and forth. "Go! And tell him now!"

"I can't!" May screamed. Tears streaming down her face. "I can't lose him."

"Enough!" Brendan commanded. The two woman stopped and turned to Brendan, he stood up tall over them both, his strong arms placed firmly on the table. "May. If you have something to tell me-" before he could finish May fled out of the door. Brendan looked at Sally who sat down and continued to eat from her plate. She smiled at him as he ran after May outside the house.

"May!" He called to her. "Where are you going?"

"I can't." She was shaking and her arms violently swung around as she kneeled down. Brendan ran to her side but she pushed him away. "I'm sorry, I can't!" She screamed. "I can't lose you too."

"May? Whatever it is-"

"It's my fault!" She shouted out. "All of it, it's my fault."

"All of what?"

"All of this!" She waved her hand toward the ocean, the moon making it glow a perfect white. "I did this."

"Kyogre. Team Aqua did this?"

"And you would have stopped it!" She forced her face into her hands. "If it wasn't for me."

"What are you talking about?"

"I followed you into the cave!" She lifted her head away from her hand and stared straight into his eyes. "I went with you, you didn't see me. When you went to fight Kyogre. I was there!"

"No. That's-"

"You were fighting him, winning. He couldn't fight much longer and I tried to help you. But I ended up getting in the way. You were so busy fighting Kyogre and I just wanted to help. You managed to trap him, but when I went to attack, I freed him by accident. Then he went primal and all of this happened." She explained. "If I didn't go down there! If I didn't try and help you! You would have beaten him. I just wanted to help you, like you always helped me. And it cost everyone, everything!"

"May. Why?"

"I had to be by your side. I wanted to help. I screwed it all up. It's all my fault." May grabbed his shirt and pulled him towards her. Her tear-soaked eyes glistened in the moonlight, her gentle lips pressed together violently. Her hands shaking against his chest. Her determined stare pieced his heart. "You should have let me die down there."

Brendan moved away from her. He suddenly, became overwhelmed with everything. He'd lost everyone, everything. His family, his Pokémon, his friends. The whole world was buried under an ocean, living through constant devastating storms all because of May. He felt angry, even hatred. She'd gotten in the way, he'd nearly beaten Kyogre but May had made him lose. He didn't know why but he opened his mouth and the words just came out. "Your right..." He whispered towards her.

"I should have let you die."


	7. Chapter 7

Brendan didn't know if he regretted what he had said to May. All he know was that she'd lied to him. Betrayed him. Caused the whole world to suffer. Potentially killing millions, even billions through her actions. He did know one thing though. He wasn't going to stay here.

The last few months they spent together, they all felt sour. She'd lied to him, maybe even manipulated him into being with her. Although he loved there little house, his love for her was dying every second. Like humanity lost the world, she'd lost him.

"You ready?" Sally asked. The woman looked happy to leave but the tension and atmosphere had clearly made her uneasy. She kept looking back to the house, watching and waiting for May to appear. But she didn't. May held up in her room. Brendan hadn't said a word to her since he told her that he 'should have let her die'. She hadn't said a word to him. She just watched him as he left the crying heap of mess which was May Birch.

"Lights fading. We have to go, Brendan." Sally looked almost apologetic as she jumped onto the Pelipper's back. "Have you changed your mind?"

"No." Brendan eventually replied. His voice was angry, sad, lifeless. Without another word, without another glance towards May looking out the bedroom window, Brendan jumped onto the Pelippers back and it began to fly into the air. He felt he should give May one last look. He know she would be watching. And yet he didn't. He couldn't. Looking at her would just hurt them both right now. She didn't deserve it. And yet. He felt guilty. But only for a second.

Brendan watched the seemingly endless sea. The world he'd grown to love so much. The forests, the trees, the routes littered and stuffed full to the brim with Pokemon. All was gone. Extinguished. Erased by a sea which covered the once green region. There wasn't any birds, there wasn't any mountains, there wasn't any islands. It was just water, water everywhere, covering everything.

It was getting darker every second. The water changed from a beautiful light blue to a Moonlite almost purple. Brendan made out the odd Tentacruel and Goldeen in the water but even they would struggled to survive in the primal storms.

Sally was concentrating on their destination. Brendan had learned that she came from a small settlement of survivors, most who lived in the mountains and had flying Pokémon had managed to escape the rising waters and horrific storms. She kept quiet most of the time, and when she did talk Brendan didn't reply. He was thinking or trying to not think. He just wanted to reach dry land. He would soon get his wish.

In the distance he could see a small landmass, about half a mile across either side. It was lite up by torches and Brendan could make out little tents and wooden shacks around the lights, as well as a small group of people and Pokémon. It felt like forever to get down there. Brendan could feel himself sweating and shaking as the lights and people grew bigger and bigger. Activity swelled as they approached the ground.

The Pelipper landed with a bang. It was exhausted after it's long flight. Brendan gave it a gentle stroke and thanked it as he disembarked onto dry land for the first time in hours. Sally waved at a few people and ran off with them, leaving Brendan alone. People watched and stared at him, some may have even recognised him as an up and coming Trainer.

However, a single man had approached Brendan. He was large, short and had a large white beard. Brendan recognised him as he came closer into the light. "Wattson?" Brendan called out towards the man. His white beard was much longer, his eyes frail and weak. He looked like the energy coursing through his veins had failed to keep working. He was tired and old but still managed to form a small smile towards Brendan.

"Brendan, you returned to us." Wattson's voice was quiet but cheerful. "I'm so pleased."

"Thank you," Brendan replied. "How many-"

"Don't concern yourself with that now." Wattson interrupted. I have someone who wants to see you."

Brendan raised an eyebrow. "Who?" He immediately asked.

Wattson shook his head sadly and gestured for Brendan to follow. He lead him through a crowd of people and into what looked like a rather sparse market area. Lamps lite up the small wooden benches and stalls with baskets of fruit and berries, the only food Brendan had seen around here. In the distance he could see a small field where the berries were grown. Everyone looked thin and hungry but no starving, just unhappy. A few homes had been quickly built, but most of the people live in tents on the outskirts of the main town. If you could call it a town. Brendan followed Wattson out and away from the main population and towards a shack right at the edge of the island. Wattson lifted up the material which he clearly considered as the entrance and stopped.

"He's in there. Waiting for you." Wattson said almost apologetically.

Brendan ducked and entered into the tent. As he brought his head up he saw a small bed lying on the ground, a few odd blankets covering the tall and strong body of the person inside it. Brendan glanced around his surroundings. It was dark and quiet, the only noise being the coughing coming from the man. On his left was a few half-berries and a glass of water, the right there was a group of small medicine and potions but they had all been used up. Brendan approached the man and looked towards him cautiously.

"Dad." Brendan mumbled out in surprise. "Dad!"

The boy rushed to his fathers side, throwing himself down onto his knees and staring into his fathers opening, weary, sick eyes. The ruby-brown colour had faded out of Norman. His once strong and stern expression, the one he wore everyday at the Gym, in battles, at home, was gone, replaced with a weak and pale glance at his son.

"Brendan." He whispered out. "Is that you?"

"Yes, Dad." Brendan replied, tears welling in his eyes. "I'm here. It's me."

"You're alive?"

"I'm alive, Dad." Brendan struggled to hold back his tears. "Is mum?"

"I'm sorry, son." Norman replied. Brendan threw his hand to his mouth and covered that hand with his other, tears streaming down his hands. "I couldn't get to her-"

"It's okay. I know." Brendan interrupted. "Save your strength."

"Brendan. Don't feel guilty." Norman managed to force out. "I know you did all you could down there. In that cave."

"Dad. I tried. I tried so hard."

"Brendan. I don't have long left." Norman used the last of his strength to sit up but struggled but Brendan ran to help. With Norman sat up he managed to grab Brendan and pull him close. He could tell that his son was full of emotions, anger, hatred, pain, sadness, grief, guilt. "I may have not been the best father too you but I'm proud of you. So proud. Whatever happened in that cave, it wasn't your fault."

"I know. I tried my best. But, May?" Brendan's fingers tucked into his hand to form a fist. "She said she got in the way, she said she freed Kyogre-"

"By accident?" Norman asked, his breathing becoming harder to maintain.

"Yeah. But-"

"Brendan. Why did she go into that cave?" Norman's eyes opened as far as they could, his bloody, scared hand pressed against his sons face as he waited for Brendan's reply. "She wanted to help you, didn't she?"

"Yes. She wanted to help me." Brendan was confused. He didn't have long left with his father. 'Why did he want to talk about this?' He thought.

"That little girl. She loves you Brendan, I saw it as soon as you walked in my gym with her." Brendan shook his head. "You know it too. She just wanted to be with you." Brendan got up from his dads side and turned away from him, slamming a hand into the wooden table.

"She caused it all."

"No."

Brendan sharply turned to his dead. "She said she did!"

"We all say things that aren't true, Brendan." Norman managed to smile but it was interrupted by a rough coughing fit. Brendan yet again went to his side. "Of course she blames herself." Norman paused. "Wouldn't you blame yourself?"

"But she freed Kyogre?" Brendan insisted. "Why would she lie?"

"She didn't lie. That's not what happened. She's a good person, and when bad things happen, good people blame themselves. Like you blamed yourself for not stopping Team Aqua in their headquarters." Norman grabbed his sons hand firmly and placed a metal PokeBall, warm and full of life, into his hand. "She needs you, Brendan. Go to her. Help her."

"Wait. How do you know about what happened in the cave?"

Norman smiled. "I know my son."

Brendan stared at him confused. He tried to process everything, his mother's death, his fathers last words too him, what Norman had said. He didn't understand. He knew so much about him. He knew all about what happened in the cave and Brendan's memory was still fuzzy about that. His father was always determined but this, this was different somehow. Like he knew everything. Like he knew the workings of Brendan's mind beyond the connection between a father and son. He knew May. He knew about him and May being together.

Brendan clutched the PokeBall and stared at his father, into the fading colours of his eyes.

"What do I need to do?"

"Go to her." Norman ordered. "Protect her."

Brendan nodded hesitantly. "Okay, Dad."

Norman ushered him over one last time. "Go to May, be with her." Brendan got up and looked at his dying father one last time. "I love you, son."

"I love you, Dad."


	8. Chapter 8

May sat on the small rock at the edge of the island. She stared deep into the waters, her guilty, broken reflection staring directly back at her. She grabbed a nearby rock and threw it into the water, breaking the calm. She put her hands either side of her head and clutched her hazel-hair, tears streaming down her face. She screamed, screamed so loud that she thought her mouth would explode. The once silent and calm waters erupted with the painful cries of the young girl.

It seemed to last forever.

She screamed until her voice faded. She buried her head into her lap and wept. She had lost everything. Her family, her friends, Brendan. She'd caused the whole world to be destroyed. She'd killed billions of people, billions of Pokémon. Destroyed lives and had wrecked the life's off the unfortunate few who had survived. If the violent storms which and plagued the planet didn't kill her she reckoned a mob would arrive and torture her. All of which she deserved.

It had been over a day since Brendan left.

She hadn't eaten, hadn't had a drink. Her lips where dry, but she wasn't thirsty. Her stomach rumbled but she didn't feed it. Her eyes where tired and sore from the crying and lack of sleep. Her hair messy and unwashed.

She didn't care if her body wanted looking after. She didn't deserve it. She knew she only deserved one thing.

She wanted to die.

She wanted to jump into the ocean and drown. She wanted to throw her head against that rock till she cracked it open. She wanted to cut herself and bleed to death. That is what she deserved. She deserved to die, painfully, alone. With not even a footnote of history about her. She should be forgotten.

She didn't blame, Brendan. She understood. He was the most fantastic, kind, caring person. He deserved better then her. He deserved someone who isn't responsible for killing his friends and family. He deserved someone who doesn't lie to him or keep the truth from him. Someone who doesn't break down in tears whenever she's reminded of the people she's killed.

She couldn't stop thinking about the people. The people in Mauville, trapped in the indoor cities corridors and hallways, gasping for air as the water filled up to the top of its glass roof, crushing them below. The people in Dewford, probably devastated instantly. They would have no place to run. Her mind replayed the deaths of hundreds of people, all of it made up inside her head.

She looked back towards the water.

Jumping down from the rock, May walked into the water, the sea climbing up past her ankles and almost swirling around her leg. She kept walking through until the water had reached her shorts. She stared into the dark morning sky. Her eyes filled with colour but felt as empty as her heart. Like the ocean circling against her legs, it was empty inside. Full of nothing but corpses and a lost civilisation.

It started to rain.

She took a breath, than another. She felt her brain just shutting down. Giving up. In the distance she could see waves crashing against each other. Lighting striking the ground. Clouds erupting in noise. She didn't retreat, she didn't secure the house. She just stood there and watched. Waiting for it to consume her. To take her away, destroy her. It would be a mercy, an ironic mercy. The very thing she created, what she she allowed to happen would kill her.

She didn't know how long had past.

May felt the wind picking up as the storm moved closer. The water began to churn and swirl into life. In the distance she spotted it. A whirlpool. Forming not to far from her little island. It began to drag her towards it although she could still escape. She just choose not too. She let herself her dragged until the water was above her waist. She closed her eyes as the waves, like a hand, grabbed her and pulled her closer. The water rose and rose until it started to cover her completely and she began to drown. She didn't fight it. She just laid there. Eyes shut tight. Powerless.

She was going to get her wish.

She was going to die.

May threw herself up and looked around at her surroundings. She immediately saw that she was in her room back at the house. She could see her clothes carefully wrapped around a chair by the fireplace. She was in her pyjamas and it seemed the covers of the bed had been gently placed around her before she threw them off. On the bedside was a glass of water and a few medical plasters and such. Supplies she knew were not in the house. Her leg felt painful and she lifted the covers to find it bound in a white clothe although a tiny bit of blood had come through the material. She tried to sit up but couldn't and laid down trying to work out what was going on.

Then the door opened.

"Your awake?" Brendan asked. He walked in and sat down the the chair nearby. "How you feeling?" May didn't answer. Instead she just stared at him, like she was in a dream. "May. It's me. I'm here."

"Brendan?" She mumbled out. "What are you doing?"

"My job," He replied coldly. "What the hell, May?"

"What?" May barely managed to ask.

"Do you not remember?" Brendan bit his lip. He was angry. "You tried to kill yourself? You would have drowned if I didn't- May! Why would you do that?"

"I don't know, I was just." May turned away from him and stared out the window into the ocean. "It was what I deserved." She glanced back at him. "You should have let me die. You said you would."

"I was wrong." Brendan frowned and slowly walked over, carefully sitting on the edge of the bed. "That wasn't a nice thing to say to you, and I'm sorry. I was angry. I wasn't thinking. You'd lied to me and I just didn't expect it. I didn't think you'd be capable of lying. And then I just blamed you. Like you blamed yourself."

"But it was my fault." May insisted. "You weren't-"

"May. It wasn't." Brendan glanced away from her but then stared straight back into her eye. "Kyogre is a God. I was never going beat him." He said with absolute assurance that his words were true. "It wouldn't have mattered if you were there or not. I was always going to lose."

"Why did you come back?" May asked, desperately hoping it was the answer she wanted to hear.

"Someone reminded me of something." He mysteriously answered. "I'm gonna' need some time. Time to forgive you. But I will forgive you." Brendan explained. "Then, maybe, we could go back to the way things were. I don't know when or if I can do that. I'm just not saying never."

"Your staying?" May grabbed his hand. "Brendan, your staying?"

He looked out on the ocean, observed the sun as it came up from between the edge of the ocean and the clouds. It shon brightly on the house. Light filling every crack in the wooden beams, the floor. The ocean glistened and seemed to come alive with the suns light dancing between the waves. He looked down towards May who had sat up against the bed frame and was staring into his eyes. For the first time in what seemed like forever, she was hopeful. She wasn't sad, guilty, angry, she was at almost peace. She looked so beautiful with the light making her sapphire eyes shine like the ocean.

May reached and clutched his hand as he smiled at her. She felt like a heavy weight had been pushed off her shoulders. Like everything she had done didn't matter anymore. Although it would still affect her she wouldn't blame herself. Because if Brendan doesn't blame her, than who else should matter. All she needed was him after all.

Brendan opened his mouth and finally spoke.

"I'm staying."

The End

The sun slowly rose over the horizon. It stretched across the water and shon through the windows of the empty house. Brendan leaned against the fence surrounding the small farm, observing the different berries, fruit and vegetables which had been growing perfectly for years now. He ran his hand through his neat dark-haired beard and smiled as a small gentle hand rested on his back. May wrapped her arm around his arm and rested her head against his shoulder while her other hand supported her pregnant belly. The two stared at each other for a moment, staring into their eyes, with the pain of all that had happened still somewhere in the background, although their new life's had started to push it further and further away.

Authors Note:

Thank you all so much for reading this story. I hope you all enjoyed the many up's and downs throughout. I just wanted to create a small story about two characters thrust into a fight they couldn't win and how they react when they lose. We always see our hero's win, or lose than eventually win. I wanted to do a story where they lose and there's nothing you can do to change that. You have to live with that now, that you lost, etc.

Although I don't have plans to right a sequel or follow up I may consider doing so in the future, but for now this story is finished. Please give feedback on what you liked and didn't like and keep watching my account for new stories and experiences.

Thanks again and have a good one!

\- By Highcommanderelliott


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